We present the construction of a continuous, daily (09:00 UTC), station-based (Azores-Iceland) North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) Index back to 1871 which is extended back to 1850 with additional daily mean data. The constructed index more than doubles the length of previously existing, widely available, daily NAO time series. The index is created using entirely observational sea-level pressure (...

Estimates of instantaneous mortality rates (Z) and annual appar­ ent survival probabilities (Φ) were generated from catch-curve analyses for oceanic-stage juvenile loggerheads (Caretta caretta) in the waters of the Azores. Two age distributions were analyzed: the “total sample” of 1600 log­ gerheads primarily captured by sight­ ing and dipnetting from a variety of vessels in the Azores between ...

Geographic variation in the acoustic features of whistles emitted by the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Atlantic Ocean (Azores and Canary Islands) and the Mediterranean was investigated. Ten parameters (signal duration, beginning, end, minimum and maximum frequency, the number of inflection points, of steps, of minima and maxima in the contour and the frequency range) were ext...

The genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) contains important vectors of animal and human diseases, including bluetongue, African horse sickness and filariosis. A major outbreak of bluetongue occurred in mainland Portugal in 2004, forty eight years after the last recorded case. A national Entomological Surveillance Plan was initiated in mainland Portugal, Azores and the Madeira archipelago...

This study aimed to (1) estimate age-at-mid-growth spurt (age-at-MGS) in Portuguese boys from two different regions—the Azores islands and Viana do Castelo, (2) identify spurts a variety of physical fitness (PF) components aligned by age-at-MGS the samples. A total 176 (Azores, n = 91; 85) aged 6 years old were followed annually 10 age. Age-at-MGS PF (speed, explosive muscular strength, abdomin...

UIE, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Prac a Gomes Teixeira, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal Dipartamento di Biologia, Università di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35121 Padova, Italy d IMAR/DOP, University of the Azores, Cais Sta Cruz, 9901-862 Horta, Azore...

Azorean freshwater invertebrates: Status, threats and biogeographic notes This paper presents an updated catalogue of the freshwater invertebrates of the Azores archipelago and reviews the published records to account for the current taxonomic status and changes in the nomenclature of the listed taxa. The number of freshwater invertebrate species that has been recorded in the Azores has risen s...

The stomach content of 113 individuals of shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus was analyzed. Individuals were sampled at landing in Vigo (Spain) and captured by sea-surface long-liners in the vicinity of the Azores Archipelago and between Azores and the Iberian Peninsula, in March and October 2012, and March 2013. Teleosts constituted the dominant item, mainly Atlantic saury Scomberesox saurus (87% ...

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and identify its clinical characterization, and medical conditions in a paediatric population in Portugal. A school survey was conducted in elementary schools, targeting 332,808 school-aged children in the mainland and 10,910 in the Azores islands. Referred children were directly assessed using the Di...